BAGALKOT: Upset over constant harassment from private moneylenders, a couple committed suicide by hanging from the railing of a bridge across the Ghataprabha river on Yadwad road, at Mudhol on Thursday morning. The deceased couple were identified as Mallappa Lali (55) and Mahadevi Lali (50).
The couple were running a grocery store and have three children. They left behind identical death notes stating that they were mentally harassed and seeking forgiveness from their children — two daughters and a son.
The couple originally hailed from Soragavi village in Mudhol taluk and were living in Metgudd village near Mudhol for the last 15 years. They were running a small grocery store and had borrowed loans of Rs 15-20 lakh for business from about 20 private moneylenders. Unable to bear the pressure to repay the loans, the couple ended their lives, according to the police.
“On receiving information, the Lokapura police reached the spot. the couple had hung themselves from the crash barrier across the bridge with ropes. Their death notes were found in the pocket and the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination after they were identified by the son. In the death note, they have mentioned that they could not repay the loans and that no one was responsible for their deaths”, Police Superintendent Amarnath Reddy said.
The SP said the death note mentions details of loans availed and the names of the lenders. “It mentions about business transacted on credit and how Mallappa was finding it difficult to recover money from his customers and was unable to repay his lender as he was transacting business of only about Rs 20,000 per month”, the officer added.